Perception, attitudes and factors influencing and limiting participation in Continuous Professional Development (CPD) activities among physiotherapists in Kuala Lumpur and Selangor / Fatin Athirah Rahman, Amira Dayana Amirulzaini, Fatim Tahirah Mirza

• Main Authors: Rahman, Fatin Athirah, Amirulzaini, Amira Dayana, Mirza, Fatim Tahirah
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Faculty of Health Sciences, Universiti Teknologi MARA 2022
• Subjects: Public health. Hygiene. Preventive Medicine; Primary Health Care; Physical medicine. Physical therapy. Including massage, exercise, occupational therapy, hydrotherapy, phototherapy, radiotherapy, thermotherapy, electrotherapy
• Online Access: https://ir.uitm.edu.my/id/eprint/69737/1/69737.pdf; https://ir.uitm.edu.my/id/eprint/69737/; http://healthscopefsk.com/

Introduction: The developing fields of science, technology, and healthcare have made it essential for healthcare workers especially physiotherapist to continuously learn throughout their life. Objectives: To determine the perception and attitude, factors influencing and limiting and the association between demographic characteristics with participation in CPD activities among physiotherapist in Kuala Lumpur and Selangor. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 143 physiotherapists in Kuala Lumpur and Selangor. Self-administered questionnaire was distributed through google form. Results: Physiotherapists had positive attitude towards participation in CPD activities. Majority (92%) of the study respondents agreed on lifelong learning as part of what it means to be a professional and 95% of them feels that keeping up to date with knowledge or skills was the most beneficial aspect of CPD. The most (99%) factor influencing participation in CPD activities was ‘to improve professional knowledge’ while the most (83%) factor limiting participation in CPD activities was time constraints. Significant relationships were found between age (p = 0.031), working area (p=0.001) and working experience (p = 0.008) with participation in CPD. Conclusion: Physiotherapists in Kuala Lumpur and Selangor demonstrated a positive perception and attitude towards participation in CPD activities. They admitted that continuing education is a must for their professional development.